Top 5 things to do in Pembrokeshire

Ah, Pembrokeshire. Beautiful coastline, gorgeous towns and villages and plenty of things to do. We’ve put together a list of the top five things to do in Pembrokeshire. Trust us, you won’t get bored…

Walk the coast path

The first national trail in Wales, Pembrokeshire’s coast path is 186 miles of jaw dropping scenery. Discover the beautifully rugged cliff tops, secret coves, the 58 beaches and 14 harbours. Interestingly, the coast path’s 35,000 feet of ascent and descent is equivalent to climbing Mount Everest! The whole path can be walked in 10-15 days but if you prefer a shorter walk, there’s trails for all abilities to enjoy.

Go wildlife watching

Go for a walk along the coast path and keep your eyes peeled for an abundance of wildlife. From dolphins, sea birds, seals, puffins and otters, there’s plenty to keep a wildlife enthusiast entertained. In autumn, you may spot seal pups visible from the coast path and it’s also one of the best times for bird watching! Go dolphin, whale and porpoise watching, with the summer months bringing hundreds of bottle nosed dolphins and their calves, particularly in Cardigan Bay. The lucky ones might even see an orca or a minke or fin whale! Take a specialized boat trip for your chance to see one of these. Cemaes Head is great for seal spotting, with Grassholm and Skomer Island being prime locations for bird watching and puffin spotting, just a short journey from the pretty little village of Dale.

Visit a castle

Pembrokeshire is well known for its multitude of fascinating castles, each with their own intriguing history. Visit Carew Castle, which overlooks a 23-acre millpond and has a history spanning over 2000 years, Pembroke Castle, which is the only castle to be built over a natural cavern, and Picton Castle, a stately home based in forty acres of woodland and gardens. There are plenty of other castles to choose from should you wish to delve into a little slice of Welsh history.

Discover the gorgeous towns and villages

Pembrokeshire boasts many lovely towns and villages. There is one city, the smallest city in Britain, St Davids, based in the heart of Pembrokeshire National Park and with its very own cathedral. The charming fishing village of Little Haven, a picturesque conservation area with a lovely beach and a wonderful selection of places to enjoy local food and drink. There’s also the lovely Dale, with a sand and shingle beach perfect for watersports and wildlife watching and Fishguard, a pretty little town well known for its music festivals. Each year, they hold a Classical and a Folk music festival and there are also many live music events happening throughout the year. The ideal place for music lovers!

Try a new watersport

With its miles of coastline and beautiful scenery, Pembrokeshire National Park is the perfect place to discover a new watersport. As the pioneer of coasteering, there’s no better spot to try it out, plus you can also have a go at surfing, whitewater rafting and sailing from one of the many beaches. Don’t forget to save some time for an afternoon of kayaking and canoeing along the clear waters and discovering secret coves.

Simon Tregoning is the Chairman at Classic Cottages. Classic Cottages have an exclusive portfolio of places to stay, handpicked in the best locations from the tip of far west Cornwall across the south of England and over on the Isle of Wight.